Maradona-Messi comparison, Jorge Valdano has clear ideas.

“We are facing a player of a higher category.”

All of Argentina is in absolute ecstasy over the Albiceleste’s World Cup triumph. Led by its captain and leader Leo Messi, the Selecciòn has returned to the roof of the world after 36 years. The handover between Diego Armando Maradona, the legendary hero of Mexico ’86, and the Pulga from Rosario, was accomplished in the manner hoped for by all the Argentine people. And by the protagonist himself, the seven-time Ballon d’Or, for whom by now the comparison with Diego – and the dispute over who was stronger between the two – is the subject of opinions from all parts of the globe.

Jorge Valdano, the Pibe de Oro’s ‘dauphin’ in the historic Mexico ’86 affirmation, spoke to the microphones of Marca to explain similarities and differences between the two firesides. “I experienced the match with more tension than in ’86, because when you play you get free, while Sunday was tremendously tense, because when you watch you accumulate. For me it was a higher level game, but it cost me a lot emotionally. It was a great final,” he began.

“The similarity between Maradona and Messi is that they are two geniuses. The difference is that in Mexico, Diego was in his physical peak, while Leo at 35 had to bring out genius and wisdom. Every play he made was decisive and decisive to say that we are facing a superior player. They are two geniuses who have marked the time in which they played soccer: Messi even for 20 years,” he continued.

Finally, an anecdote about the PSG star: “Messi told me before the game ‘If I am world champion I will keep the Argentina jersey until the next World Cup.’ We’ll see if Leo is capable of that. Soccer has proven that it is practically impossible to play six World Cups,” Valdano concluded.